


Secrets are best unheard

by Attack_on_mgl



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Adult Content, Blood and Gore, Crime Scenes, Dark Comedy, Detectives, Gang Violence, Kinda, Mild Sexual Content, Near Death Experiences, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:14:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25144522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Attack_on_mgl/pseuds/Attack_on_mgl
Summary: A double homicide, with a child as the only witness, and despite all that, Kai's more concerned about the fact his sister's seeing someone he hasn't even met yet. His boss is out to get him and the Noddle Bar waitress he's been flirting with, is giving him nothing.He doesn't understand what's up with, Cole, either.
Relationships: Cole & Kai (Ninjago), Cole/Kai (Ninjago), Cole/Zane (Ninjago), Nya/Jay Walker
Comments: 21
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is on my FF account but I'm posting it here as well because fics for the fandom on AO3 are apparently more 'adult' than those on FF,,,,,,
> 
> Basically. Detective AU. Modern AU, too, if you want.

It was another day at work.

The sun was shining brightly through the windows into the main office, the faint sound of birds and dogs letting Kai relax a bit.

Obviously he was pissed off; he always was when Nya did stuff without his permission. Finally she had 'found the one', _the man of her dreams_ , after being in the same engineering class and tech class.

His name was, Jay, apparently. Jay Walker, to be precise.

_How convenient that a random boy off her campus, who she is dating, is called that._

Kai sighed, regretting flipping out at her this morning. He ran a hand down his face tiredly.

"Okay… hmm… so we've got a double homicide case involving the death of an elderly couple-"

"I'll take it!" He shot up his hand, voice hitching slightly. Across the room Cole snickered into his coffee cup, leaning over his desk even more. Kai glanced at him out the corner of his eye and growled teasingly; the raven was always amused by his enthusiasm.

He was clad in his usual snug, brown sweater. His cheeks were warmly flushed from his hot morning coffee, his eyes closing slowly as he took another sip.

"Smith, this is a rather sinister case. If I were you I would give this one to one of the higher ups – they have more experience than you." _Typical_. Ronin chuckled softly, probably finding himself funny or some shit like that.

Kai glared at him. "C'mon, man. This case seems pretty damn important if you ask me, so I suggest you let me lead it and prove just how good I am. You can't judge someone's skill set just because they aren't as ancient as you." His lips formed into a firm line as he got a few concerned looks from the office team, nodding over at the ginger in self conformation. "You're, like, _forty-five."_

"And you're, like, being _childish._ " Ronin grumbled under his breath as he positioned himself back at the center of the room, his eyes narrowing as he sighed regrettably. "Ugh… fine. _Fine_." He turned to meet the brunet's snarky gaze. "But not on your own. So, um, who's up for it, then?"

"I'll do it." Cole muttered, not looking up from his work log. He licked his lips and looked up at the elder male, before cocking his head to the side like a confused puppy. "Is that okay with you, Sir?"

Cole took every chance he could to milk Ronin's approval of him, so pulling the _innocent teacher's pet_ act was completely justified.

Ronin nodded firmly. "Then it's settled. Brookstone… _Smith_ … there's _a little catch, by the way."_

_Oh great._

"The only witness is the son, Lloyd. He's _ten_."

"Can we bring him in for questioning? We should get that done soon enough." Kai asked and began writing notes in his work log as well, watching Cole do the same.

"We've got forensics on the site as we speak, and the kid is staying with his Uncle."

"Okay, we need to get both of them in, then." Cole spoke up, now in full concentration mode. "And I'm all up for checking CCTV as well…"

"Yep, definitely. Good work, lads, keep this up and the case'll be over in no time. Oh, and Smith?" His superior stared over at him rather intimidatingly.

Kai raised a scarred eyebrow expectantly. "Yes, sir?"

" _Don't fuck this up._ "


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai furrowed his brow as Cole suddenly began emptying the large box, book after book forming small piles next to the lid.
> 
> "Kid's… they usually hide random crap under all their school junk."
> 
> "Lloyd was homeschooled, though."
> 
> "It doesn't matter."

Cole gagged nervously into his fist, averting his eyes away from the bloody scene before him. The corpses, _thank God_ , had been removed, but everything else was still under harsh analysis. The once clean, white carpet was stained now in crimson and purple, those same colours marking nearby furniture and walls in splatters as well.

"You okay?" Kai cautiously flickered his stare over to his friend, clearly concerned.

Cole nodded quickly as he stumbled a bit. "Y-Yeah, just a bit nauseous, that's all. I'll be fine, though."

"You sure? Cole, you don't have to be here if you can't deal with it."

" _I can._ " He suddenly snapped, making Kai flinch. Shaking his head, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I can… Sorry. I'm just a bit out of it, that's all. I haven't dealt with cases like this in a while." The brunet hummed approvingly, despite still being worried.

"Good to hear." Kai licked his lips and carefully shuffled around the people inspecting the floors, making his way smoothly over to the staircase at the side of the room. There was a small, but noticeable dent into the wooden bannester, along with the same vital red fluid smeared over it rather aggressively. _Someone must've hit their head real hard on that thing…_ He grimaced at the thought, leading his friend further up the short flight.

Taking the first right, they found themselves in, presumably, Lloyd's bedroom. Considering it was most likely only the ground floor of the house that had became victim to the disturbance, the upstairs was left free of forensic work for the time being.

The room was relatively normal – _cliché, almost_ – with sports posters and equipment decorating the dark green walls. Exhaling, Kai crouched down to search under the bed, digging in deeper at the sight of numerous boxes. Cole leant himself comfortably against the wall, peering down silently with a cold stare. Awkwardly Kai removed himself from under the bed, brushing himself down as he pulled out one of the larger boxes. He chuckled lightly and met the raven's gaze, smirking playfully at the dramatic height difference from the floor.

"Woah. No wonder you get neck pains." He laughed and patted the space at the younger man's feet. Cole folded his arms over his chest coldly and rolled his eyes, unamused.

"I'm up to your _jaw_. And the pains are from doing a shit ton more work than you do."

"Touché." Kai watched his friend sit down opposite him, crossing his legs neatly.

_Standard Cole._

The brunet bit his lip as he dramatically pulled back the latex glove from around his wrist, letting go with an impressive smack as he raised his eyebrows at the clearly more focused Detective. Quickly Kai removed the dusty lid and placed it beside the box, gasping at the contents. "Huh." An underwhelming stash of revision books met their gaze, the hopeful glint instantly extinguished. Kai furrowed his brow as Cole suddenly began emptying the large box, book after book forming small piles next to the lid.

"Kid's… they usually hide random crap under all their school junk."

"Lloyd was homeschooled, though."

"It doesn't matter." Cole interjected, carefully taking out a small shoe box and sliding the now empty box to one side, before setting the new box down in the middle of them. "As long as they have enough 'good student's equipment to cover something, they can hide whatever they need to."

Kai nodded, feeling slightly enlightened. "You never fail to amaze me, Cole. You know that, right?"

"Evidently." He swallowed, not liking the compliment very much.

"I reckon we should let forensics do their job, instead of us potentially contaminating vital evidence." The elder mused, beginning to refill the box. He laughed softly as Cole watched him intently. "I don't understand why you haven't hooked up with a girl yet."

"What are you suggesting." Cole muttered shallowly, glaring over at his friend.

Kai pushed the box back under the bed. "Like, first off, every chick likes a guy in uniform; it's fact." Cole stood up and tugged awkwardly at his tie, grumbling in irritation.

"I'm pretty sure this doesn't count as uniform. And anyways, why are we even discussing my love life? I've got to get back early to see my dad, after all."

Kai stretched as he rose to his feet and nodded cheerfully. "Hm, yeah, I totally get ya. I'll do some extra work tonight then, just to get some off your back."

The raven pursed his lips. "It's fine. I'll be able to pull an all-nighter at some point if I can't catch up." He glanced down as Kai rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it assuringly.

The brunet smiled at him, before they walked back down to the ground floor.


	3. Chapter 3

"Uhhh, d'you want tea or coffee?" Kai asked as he began pulling out two mugs from the cabinet and boiling the kettle.

Cole laughed as he leant against the island. "What d'you think?"

"Coffee it is, then."

It wasn't long before they were sipping carefully at the hot drinks, relaxed and peaceful.

It was nice.

The silence wasn't awkward - _oh no, not at all._ They made sure to savour these rare times in which they were able to simply enjoy each others company.

Shortly after, however, the universe had decided against them.

Kai was first to lower his mug onto the counter he was leaning against, slowly placing it next to the kettle without breaking his sharped gaze from the kitchen's entrance. Cole rolled his eyes at his work partner's sudden change of posture as he, too, put down his mug on the small dining table in the centre of the room and turned to face the entrance also.

As expected soon after, a familiar voice called out; the click of a door unlocking, shoes scuffing on a door mat, and a door re-locking sounded. " _I'm home!_ "

"Same here!" Kai shouted back, inhaling a frustrated breath. "Thanks for getting home early! Really appreciate it!"

Nya greeted him with a cheeky smirk as she sauntered into the kitchen. "Aww, _really?_ "

" _No._ "

"Thought so." She muttered, taking a seat at the table and pulling out her phone. "How're you doing, Cole? You good?"

"Yeah, I'm alright, thanks. You?"

"Not too shabby. All's good on _Planet-A-La-Nya._ " The corners of her lips quirked upwards into a small smile as she didn't take her eyes off her phone, leaning back slightly to shield the screen. "How's the Garmadon case going?"

Kai sipped his drink slowly, licking his lips as he lowered the mug to speak. "I told you."

"That was _yesterday._ " She muttered. "I get that it's confidential and all, but you must be able to let me know a smidge of info."

"I said no, _Nya_. Now drop it."

The ravenette glanced up at her sibling with a dirty glare, before snapping her head to face the other male. "C'mon, Cole. Spill the tea."

"No can do." He laughed. "It's not _tea_. Its, uh… it's a _homicide_ – And anyways, you know the rules–"

"Yeah, but I don't care about them at the moment. Rules are made to be broken you know?"

Cole snorted. "Says the girl who is usually going on about how spotless her record is. _God, Kai_ ," He smirked at the brunet. "she's turning into _you_."

Kai rolled his eyes. "She's spending too much time with a boy, that's the problem. Josh-"

" _Jay._ "

"-whatever. Jay Walker, _then_ , isn't a great role model."

"Jay Walker, huh? Sound like a pretty cool last name. Nya Walker. Has a nice ring to it-"

"Wha– No it doesn't!" Kai exclaimed, before turning sharply to his sister. "Do not even start considering marriage."

Nya beamed at him smugly. "I'm not gonna marry him, Kai… _yet_." She laughed to herself, sighing. "We've literally only been on… one, two…" She counted on her fingers. "…three- three dates! Or was it four? I dunno. What I'm saying is that marriage is not a priority at the moment."

"Good. I hope you you're both agreeing on that."

"Of course we are. Although, I reckon we will stay together after school… we're dreaming on running our own mechanics in the future!"

"Keep dreamin'." The brunet licked his lips as he placed his empty mug down near the kettle, folding his arms over his chest. "You won't have a future if you stay with him."

"Just because you're single doesn't mean you can bully me. _Cole's_ single, and he doesn't."

"Hey, don't bring me into your sibling issues." Cole raised his hands in mock surrender, looking between the two. "This is you guys' shit."

" _Nu-uh._ " Nya shook her head stubbornly. "Hang on, I'll get a photo up of him. Tell me whatcha think…"

Shortly after, Cole was handed over the phone. This ' _Jay Walker_ ' wasn't what he'd expected at all – quite the opposite, actually. Naturally tan skin, though not as tan as Kai, with freckled cheeks and unruly brunet hair. His eyes were a mix of ocean blue and a deep navy, which conisidently matched the blue denim jacket and sneakers he was shown wearing; posed against a graffitied brick wall as he created gang signs with his hands.

"Hm, yeah, I can see where Kai is coming from." He handed Nya back her phone as she gasped. " _But_ , if you two get along well, then you should stay with him. He clearly has an 'edgy' side, which I know you have. I don't know, Nya, I can't really give you relationship advise."

"You had girlfriends during college right? You said your dad was strict as well, much like Mr Bossy over here."

" _Hey-_ "

"None of the relationships really worked out. They lasted around a couple weeks, but they just didn't work for me." He pursed his lips. "My dad wasn't a great help either. He always went on about how I should get a girlfriend and stuff, when all I really wanted was…" He glanced at Kai. "…to _study._ "

"What he's saying is put work before Jay."

" _No I'm not._ " Cole nodded at the raveneette. "Mental health is better than work. Whatever makes you happy, put it first. And if Jay makes you happy… then by all means, tell Kai to fuck off, and let you spend time with your boyfriend."

Kai facepalmed. " _Jesus Christ._ "

"Finally, someone who actually speaks some sense!" Nya grinned as she stood up, punching Cole playfully in the arm. "Cheers, Cole."

" _Ow_ – uh, no problem."

And with that she strolled out the kitchen, leaving Kai to stare disapprovingly at his friend. "You're an idiot."

"Yep. She's your sister, though."

"That doesn't give you the right to encourage her."

"You sound like my dad." He held up his index finger to shush the brunet. "And that's not a good thing."

Kai closed his mouth reluctantly. "Dickhead…"

" _Hypocrite._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are lovely and I love to read people's thoughts, so anything is appreciated :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'd class this chaoter as a filler, or something??? It's not very long, but it just scratches the surface of some plot details. It's mainly just Kai and Cole fucking around tbh. I love them sm don't come for me.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy :)

"Right then." Kai pursed his lips into a stern, yet assuring smile as he locked eyes with the blond opposite him. "Lloyd, I want to hear what happened on the night of your parents'… passing."

Lloyd swallowed thickly, casting a worried glance to his right, where his Uncle sat. Due to Lloyd being a child, he had to have a guardian with him. He blinked, eyes glossing over as his lip trembled slightly. "…I came downstairs, and they were dead."

The brunet was slightly taken aback by the bluntness of the child's voice, but continued anyways. "I know that's it's hard, but you need to tell me everything you know. It can help us find out who did this to them–"

" _He's just a child._ " Wu, the Uncle, spoke up almost bitterly. "You shouldn't be asking him to talk about the murder of his parents–"

"It's my _job_. Don't you want to know who's responsible?" The elderly man quietened, and Kai focused back on Lloyd. "Just say what you want to, anything will help."

The boy inhaled and exhaled, nodding slowly. "…Okay…"

* * *

"How was he, then?" Cole muttered, sipping at his coffee. His eyes followed the brunet as he dragged his feet into the office, groaning.

"He went over stuff we already know, unfortunately. Not to mention his Uncle wasn't too pleased with the questions…" He slumped in his chair and ran a hand down his face. "If anything we need to talk to Wu on his own. The guy seems suspicious."

"Are you suggesting _he_ murdered them?" Cole raised a brow, taking another sip of his drink as his spare hand patted about on his desk blindly until it found his notepad and pen, flipping open the notepad and holding the pen steady in his fingers. Without even looking he began noting things down, a smirk spreading across his lips as Kai watched him, shocked.

"How in the hell are you doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Drinking coffee and writing at the same time!" He exclaimed, losing his voice not to disturb anyone. " _Guys can't multitask._ "

"I've ascended." The raven stated, before putting down his pen and chugging the lasts of his coffee, placing the mug down on its coaster.

Kai glared at him playfully. "Damn you and your childhood private tutoring."

"Blame my dad." He uttered. "I used to prefer the term ' _child abuse_ '."

The brunet snickered. "Oh no. Is Cole having flashbacks to his angsty teenage years?"

Cole paused for a moment, swiveling back to his desk and staring down at the notepad. "…Maybe."

Kai grinned. "Aw, chin up, Cole! Everyone had a grunge phase. Shit, even I did–"

"Listening to Panic At The Dicso doesn't make you grunge, _Kai._ " He retorted. "Neither does wearimg edgy wristbands. You were a follower – a _sheep_ , if you will."

"I was, and still am, a trendsetter."

Cole scoffed. "Oh yeah? And what trends have you set?"

Kai scratched the back of his neck, laughing hastily. "Well, you see–"

"Don't lie to me, Kai. You're a shit liar." The raven smiled sweetly, sarcasm dripping from his words like venom. "The only thing you've set is the biggest collection of hair gel."

The taller male gasped, clutching his chest overdramatically. "How _dare_ you!" He growled. "Do _not_ bring the babe magnet into this–"

"For fucks sake…" Cole groaned. "Stop calling it that…"

"–My hair gets me all the hoes, Cole." He stated with a firm nod.

"Oh yeah, cuz there's _sooo_ many hoes around you, isn't there?" His arms folded over his chest. "From the looks of it, I'm your only friend, Kai. Now unless you've got some weird incest thing going on with Nya, your only hoe is apparently _me_. Because I'm the only person that you hang out with."

Kai huffed. "Let me enjoy my fake popularity. You're more of an entourage, anyways~"

"Wow. I feel _so_ loved."

"Good." He beamed teasingly as Cole rolled his eyes, before the shorter male stood up and grabbed his mug.

"I'm getting a refill. You want anything?" He muttered, jabbing his head in the direction of the coffee machine.

The brunet handed him his own mug, before snapping his fingers repeatedly and kicked his legs up on the desk, crossing them. "Go make me a coffee, Slave!" He called as Cole walked off, not caring that he was sent the middle finger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kai is such a dumbass I love him lmao


	5. Chapter 5

"I can't believe we're doing this." Cole muttered, keeping his eyes fixated on the floor as he reluctantly followed Kai into the diner. It's was all LED lights and milkshakes, with a jukebox at the side and cosy red booths. It was also relatively empty, but not so much that people felt awkward. Well, Cole felt awkward. Cole felt extremely awkward as he and Kai slid into a booth, dumped their paperwork on the table, and sat in silence.

"This is pathetic–"

"No it's not." Kai insisted, eyes narrowed as he scanned the diner curiously. "We're here to work on our case. Have some down time."

"We're here to _stalk your sister._ " Cole stated bluntly.

Kai rolled his eyes, huffing as he began pulled out a pen and stuck it behind his ear. He didn't look up from his folder as he began to flick through it, voice low and slightly harsher than before. "If you have a problem with spending a day out if the office, in an old school diner, out of your uniform, then by all means, go ahead and leave."

Now it was Cole's turn to roll his eyes, not bothering to even say something back.

Kai looked up just in time to see him push himself out of the booth and walk over to the bar to order, feeling a guilty pit form in his stomach. In hindsight, it was probably a shitty idea to stalk Nya and her Boyfriend on their seventh date, but obviously he hadn't been thinking straight.

He watched as Cole meant against the counter, the waitress behind it smiling brightly as she nodded along intently to what he was saying. She was a pretty girl; balayaged grey hair in a high ponytail, purple ink tattoos on both arms, as well as a couple smaller designs on her face. Piecing green eyes, thick eyeliner. Not the type you'd expect to see working at an old school themed diner.

"I got you an Oreo one by the way." Cole muttered as he slid back into the booth, eyebrows furrowing when Kai smirked at him widely. "What?"

"You and… her." He grinned and jabbed his head in the direction of the counter. "She seems right up your street."

The raven blinked, cheeks darkening as he shook his head. "Please get a life."

Kai snorted, laughing loudly. "Your love life is my life, Cole." He said enthusiastically. "I'm your best mate. I'm gonna help you get a girlfriend."

"You don't have a girlfriend and I don't harass you–"

"That's not the point."

"Well what if I don't even want a girlfriend?"

"Well then you're gonna be a lonely son of a bitch, I'll tell you that now." He smiled playfully, way too invested for Cole's liking.

Cole stared at him for a moment, Kai still smiling, before breathing out a sigh. "…I– Nevermind–"

"No. No, no, no; c'mon, what were you gonna say?" The brunet's voice lowered slightly, more serious. He frowned. "If I'm genuinely pissing you off then I won't go on about it, okay? We'll just get this paperwork done and–"

"And wait for Nya?" Cole interjected, offering a small smile of his own.

Kai laughed lightly, glad the tension had gone. "Yeah, wait for Nya."

* * *

"Yeah, no, I know that, sis–"

Cole sighed as he glanced back down at his watch, eyes dead as he yawned into his palm tiredly. Kai wasn't very happy that his sister hadn't turned up to the diner, and Nya was apparently equally as frustrated to find out he'd been planning on watching her entire date.

He swore under his breath as Kai walked out the diner to take the phone call outside and not in the doorway, meaning that the conversation was definitely escalating.

"That looks intense." A waiter laughed quietly as he began collecting the two milkshake glasses off the table, casting a glance at Kai through the window, before turning his attention back to the man sat in the booth. He smiled politely at Cole as the raven nodded, staring at the waiter for a moment.

He blinked suddenly and felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "Uh, Y-Yeah. He's an absolute idiot when it comes to his sister."

"If I had a sister I'd probably be exactly the same, if I'm honest." The waiter laughed again, more genuine. Cole read his name tag, took in his platinum blonde hair and pale skin tone, and thought that _Zane_ was quite fitting. "I guess I'm kinda like that with Pix, but I guess everyone's protective of their friends."

"Well that's a lie." The shorter male disagreed, rolling his eyes as he avoided Zane's confused expression. "All he cares about is getting me a girlfriend."

Zane narrowed his brows curiously. "…And you don't want that?" There was something dancing in his eyes – something Cole couldn't place – but that didn't mean it stopped his heart from speeding up a little bit. The guy was so intimidating, yet peaceful, and it was making him anxious.

Talk about trust issues.

"…Uh, no. N-No, I'm not looking for a girlfriend at the moment." He answered, just above a whisper. "What about you? Are you–"

Zane scoffed. "Kinda personal, don't you think?" He was clearly messing about, but that didn't stop Cole from apologizing nervously.

" _Shit._ " He ran a hand through his hair. "We've only just met; you don't need to answer that–"

"I think I might be on to someone." Zane answered simply, all innocent and smug at the same time. "I'm just not sure if they're into guys like me, that's all."

Cole opened his mouth to speak, but paused when he caught glimpse of Kai making his way back towards the booth, looking nothing less than irritated. He quickly turned to Zane, pursing his lips into a slight smile. "If you try hard enough, I'm sure she'll come round." He assured, the both of them nodding goodbyes as Kai pretty much threw himself into the booth.

"I'm decidedly pissed."

"Oh yeah?"

"She's only gone and ran off with Jay to some skatepark across the other side of town!" Kai exclaimed, groaning. "She didn't even tell me! And she thinks she has the right to have a go at me for being worried–?"

"You were literally planning on spying on her."

"So what? She's my little sister who's decided to go out with some absolute _nutter_ –"

Cole honestly didn't care. He nodded along as he blocked out his ranting, managed to pack up both their stuff in record time, and still have Kai think he was listening.

"What are you gonna do at home?" He asked as they drove into the more rural part of Ninjago, Kai turning his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

The brunet shrugged, teeth digging into his lip. "I'll work that out when I get back."

"Do you _want_ to go back?"

Kai glanced over at him for a second. "What's the supposed to mean?"

It was Cole's turn to shrug, straighting his posture as he rested his head against the window. It was raining.

_How fitting._

"It might be better than ignoring each other." He explained. "I don't know. I've never really seen you flip out like this."

"It won't happen again, by the way." Kai muttered firmly. "…I'm sorry I put you through that. It must've been embarrassing."

Cole sighed. "You can say that again. Although Zane seemed on your side."

"Zane?" The taller male raised a brow curiously.

"The waiter. He was pretty cool."

"D'you get the chick's name? The emo one?"

"She wasn't _emo_. At least I don't think so, anyways." Cole contemplated. "Her name's Pix. I reckon it's short for Pixie or something like that."

"Nah, I bet she's got some weird name. Or it's a nickname from an inside joke." He smirked. "Guess we'll never know…"

"You said you wouldn't go on about all that shit." Cole reminded, sucking in a deep breath as the car stopped outside it's it's destination. Cole's car, as well as another car, were parked outside as well.

It didn't bother Kai that Cole still lived with his dad. It was a relatively well known fact that Lou had been forced to retire after injuring his leg a couple months back. The man could still walk and drive and get about normally, it was the fact that if he slept funny or tripped over that had panicked Cole into moving back in with him.

Although he wouldn't admit it, Kai did miss only having to go up a floor to see his best friend and colleague. Now it was a never-ending drive through country roads and fields until you come to a fancy cottage in the middle of nowhere.

The rain was no more as they walked up the path, Cole awkwardly fishing out his keys and jamming them into the lock with cold, shaky fingers. The door unlocked and Cole stumbled inside, the warmth and smell of lemon tea making Kai want to stumble in, too.

"See you tomorrow, then." The raven smiled slightly, before nodding towards Kai's car. "I'd be getting my ass back into a nice warm flat if I were you."

"That's a very fair point." Kai chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck hastily, already walking backwards down the path. "If I'm not in tomorrow, Ronin'll kill me."

"You're not wrong." Cole smirked, before waving goodbye and shutting the door. "See ya, Kai."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zane and Pixal do be in the fic now doe😳😳😳
> 
> …Comments are lovely :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well I think it fits you just right." He eventually said, lowering his voice as he took a sip from his glass.
> 
> She blushed slightly, a smirk tugging at her lips as she gave him a once over. "…Funny that. I could say the same about you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kai-centric chapter for your soul

The drive home was quiet.

No radio. Just rain returning to patter heavily on the sides of his car.

He didn't know whether it was lack of Cole's company, or the dread of having to explain himself to his sister, but Kai really didn't like being alone with his own thoughts.

His work was based around digging information out of people whether they liked it or not, yet he refused to admit to his own issues.

He stopped at the traffic lights, eyes tired as they glanced over at the sign pointing to the next turning, _**Chen's Noodle Bar**_ all bold and inviting and scarily persuasive despite being an inanimate object.

The girl who worked at the Noodle Bar was also bold and inviting.

Kai caught her eye as soon as he pushed open the entrance doors, not ashamed of the cocky grin that spread across his face. He walked up to the bar area, leaning against it. He wasn't planning on staying long, anyways. Plus, not sitting on a stool would let her know that he wasn't staying.

And maybe he'd get lucky, if they shared the same idea.

"Usual?" She asked, already pouring the drink. Kai was pretty sure she'd started pouring it before he'd even reached the bar.

He nodded, digging into his pocket for his wallet absent-mindedly.

Skylar was a unique girl. Red hair and a bit of an attitude, clearly not afraid to speak her mind. Able to take a joke, but will tell you if you've crossed the line.

Maybe that was part of the attraction, Kai had thought.

She was wearing a plain pair of skinny jeans and an orange button-up shirt, the Noodle Bar's logo embroidered on the front pocket. The shirt was new, he noticed, as normally the staff would be sporting polo shirts instead.

It looked nice on her.

"New uniforms then?" He asked, already knowing the answer, as she handed him his drink and took the money from his hand gently.

"Hm? Oh, yeah." She looked down at herself, smiling sheepishly. "It's a bit tighter than the old ones but I'll get used to it."

Kai hummed as a reply, not really sure what say in response without sounding too forward, because _yeah_ , the shirt looked tight. But that didn't necessarily mean it was a bad thing. "Well I think it fits you just right." He eventually said, lowering his voice as he took a sip from his glass.

Skylar blushed slightly, a smirk tugging at her lips as she gave him a once over. "…Funny that. I could say the same about you."

 _Oh_. Kai liked where this was going.

"My shift ends in fifteen minutes by the way." She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, raising her eyebrows. "…Just thought you might like to know."

The brunet swallowed thickly, trying not to avert his gaze anywhere but her eyes. Her eyes were very nice, but other things about her were also very nice – things he couldn't get caught staring at in the middle of a busy restaurant.

"You're such a tease, you know that, right?" He laughed lightly, watching as she simply bit her lip.

"You saying you don't like a tease?"

"Oh, trust me." His heart was thumping in his chest, the anticipation killing him. He barely managed to keep his composure when she leaned forwards against the bar, her hand creeping across to his and pulling it over to her. She held direct eye contact with him as she stepped back slightly, put his hand where she once was, and then returned to leaning there again.

Kai's eyes widened as he stared down at his hand. Well, what was suffocating his hand anyways. He'd never experienced something like this, to say the least. He didn't think anyone had.

"Go on." She smirked, cheeks darkening as she leaned in impossibly closer, basically pushing her chest into his palm. "Everyone's round in the dining area. They won't care."

"How much longer till your shift's done?" He asked, still baffled by what was happening.

"Let me see your watch." She once again pressed herself his hand as she reached across to grab his other one, holding the position for a few moments.

Kai could feel her heartbeat. It was intense.

"Twelve minutes." She whispered, pulling back completely. She stepped away from the bar and breathed out, clearly feeling the rush as well. She folded her arms over her chest, wincing at the action. She bit down on her lower lip, brows furrowing as she forced herself not to make any noise.

Kai blinked, still stunned. Clearly it didn't take much for her to get riled up, not that he was complaining

When they locked eyes again, he knew he was a goner. Yes, there was a scary amount of lust dancing in her eyes, but there was also something else. Something that made him down the lasts of his drink and give her a vague description of his car and it's place in the parking lot:

 _Determination_.

* * *

Drinking black coffee at 1AM was a rare occurrence, but an occurrence nonetheless.

Bitter, piping hot and so god damn needed.

He hadn't bothered making sure Nya was actually home. Her bedroom door was shut, and her bag was slumped against the wall with her jacket and shoes, so that was enough evidence anyways.

Skylar was fun. Even when she'd kissed him goodbye and shuffled out his car, she'd still been fun. The drive home was fun, too. Still no music, but Kai couldn't help but feel content.

He'd gotten the girl of his dreams.

She'd reciprocated the same feelings, if not more so.

So why, now at home, standing in his kitchen in the dark, did he feel so _fucking empty._

He pulled out his phone, brows narrowed as he stared at the screen.

Seventeen missed calls from Cole.

"…Oh boy…" Quickly he held his phone to his ear, wanting to have the chat tonight rather than at work. "Hiya, yeah, sorry about not answering earlier–"

_"Why didn't you pick up…?"_

Kai swallowed. It'd been a while since he'd hear his friend sound so… exhausted. So _drained_. "I was busy."

_"…Busy with what?"_

The brunet hesitated. "I, uh… I just went to see Skylar– Cole? H-Hello? _Cole–_ " He gritted his teeth and shoved his phone back in his pocket. If Cole was annoyed enough to hang up so abruptly, those previous seventeen missed calls must've been god damn important.

 _I'll ask about it tomorrow_ _,_ he thought as he dumped his mug in the sink, before beginning to drag his feet in the direction of his bedroom. He was fully aware he'd only be getting a few hours of sleep, but after the shit day he'd had, he was very certain he'd pass out as soon as he hit the bed.

And he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are fab UwU


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Normally he'd tell Ronin about his encounters, but saying that he missed 17 of Cole's calls, because he was getting sucked off by the waitress with nice tits, wasn't something he really wanted to admit to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up that this chapter is more mature than previous ones! Nothing majorly graphic but,,,,, you know. Mentions of things.

"He isn't coming in? What d'you mean he's not coming in?"

"I mean he's not coming in." Ronin repeated, staring at him bluntly, voice flat. "You're not usually this thick, you know."

Kai resisted swearing under his breath. "It's just that Cole normally calls or texts me if he's ill…" He muttered, sipping his coffee slowly. It was just him and his Captain in the dining area, Ronin drinking a cup of coffee that no doubt had some kind of alcohol mixed in with it.

"He said he might come by later, if that makes you feel less lonely." The older man explained, tired eyes giving him slightly glare.

"Late night?" Kai asked, always amused and amazed as to how Ronin actually managed to function with such a job, and also fuck himself over by slamming back shots most nights.

"You could say that, yeah." The corner of his mouth turned upwards slightly, peaking Kai's interest. "Definitely wasn't a bad night, though."

"Boy or girl?"

"Girl." He smiled, taking another sip of his drink. "Woke up to a note and a beer missing from my fridge, but I don't care. It was decent."

Kai was very much aware of the mutual loathing he and Ronin shared, but one thing they could agree on was one night stands. It was mainly just Ronin talking and Kai listening, but sometimes they'd both have a story to tell.

Cole never stuck around for the gory details.

"He seemed fine yesterday. Got a bit pissed off at me, but it was chill by the time he went home." Kai wondered out loud. "…It was raining, though. He must've gotten a cold." He glanced at his Captain, brows furrowed. "What did he say to you?"

"That he wasn't up for work today. It's a shit excuse but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt."

"Do I have permission to check on him–"

"No. No way. You're both grown-ish men, for God's sake." Ronin refused as he shook his head firmly. "I'll call him again later on for an update. You can play doctors and nurses after work hours, thank you." And with that he strolled out the room and straight into his office, alcoholic coffee in hand.

Kai sighed, downing the lasts of his own drink. It was boring without Cole. Working on a murder case was important, _yes_ , and so was scheduling an interrogation for Lloyd's grumpy old Uncle, but the fact that Cole – the guy that was always here – _wasn't_ here, was scarily worrying.

But Kai was also very much aware of his deep-seated paranoia, so he reluctantly brushed it off.

Skylar's name flashed up on his phone, causing him a grin stupidly.

Normally he'd tell Ronin about his encounters, but saying that he missed _17_ of Cole's calls, because he was getting sucked off by the waitress with nice tits, wasn't something he really wanted to admit to.

_**Last night was fun** _

He snorted, amused by the text. He'd say _typical Skylar_ , but then again he wouldn't know what _typical Skylar_ was.

_**Yeah it was brilliant** _

He couldn't risk thinking about it too much. The work place was not the place to have a wank in the toilets, especially not this early in the day.

Cole's name appeared at the top of the screen.

"…I'm very popular, apparently…" Kai muttered, clicking the notification and holding his breath worriedly.

**_Do you want to go to the diner again, tonight?_ **

The brunet blinked, brows furrowed.

He figured it was best not to question it.

* * *

"I _am_ sorry–"

"Yeah, I know, Kai." Nya huffed as she toed off her boots and crouched down to position them neatly against the wall. "Stop banging on about it. We're fine, now."

Kai chewed his lip and nodded firmly. "Uh, yeah… _yeah_ , that's good. I just needed to apologise to you before I disappeared again."

"That's perfectly alright." She muttered, pulling out her phone and flopping down on the couch. "Jay might come over later, anyways, so it's good you're out–"

"I–"

" _No, Kai._ " Her finger came up to silence him, the brunet frowning as he slid his arms into his jacket. "Don't give me that weird, baby look."

Huffing, Kai rolled his eyes. "I'm not– okay, fine, whatever." He reached for the door handle and pulled it open, using his other hand to awkwardly hold his phone. "Just don't do anything grim."

Despite Nya giving him her word, the thought of him returning home to find a condom wrapper discarded lazily anywhere in the apartment was terrifying.

"She wouldn't do that, you know." Cole insisted as he took a sip of his drink, laughing lightly as Kai held his head in his hands stressfully. The diner was emptier than last time, with only a few tables being used. "…And if she did, surely you'd be glad to know they were using protection–"

"Ew, no, shut up." The brunet groaned, shaking his head. "I don't wanna think of anything like that."

Cole laughed again, although more of snicker, and for a moment Kai forgot about the previous day.

The argument with Nya. His time with Skylar…

_The 17 missed calls._

He hadn't brought it up yet.

He didn't know how too.

Cole had been content and normal the second he'd slid into the passenger's seat of Kai's car, and Kai hadn't wanted to ruin it.

Cole looked fine.

Then again he was unpredictable, and was pretty decent at lying through his teeth to save his own skin, so Kai could never be sure.

"You're zoning out a bit." He stated, realising his friend's eyes were fixated on someone else.

Pix was at the bar, along with a tall, blond guy – _Zane_ , he realised.

"You've got it bad." Kai smirked, knocking Cole out of his daze and back to him. The younger man blinked, his cheeks darkening as Kai chuckled. "You got it so fucking _bad_."

"W-What–"

He grinned brightly. "You're staring at her like an idiot, Cole. You're even freaking out her friend." Kai snorted as Cole turned back to the bar, tensing when he realised Zane was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "I suggest you get your ass over there and ask for her number."

"I don't…" The raven lowered his voice and folded his arms over his chest. "I don't _want_ her number."

Rolling his eyes, Kai sighed.

Cole was stubborn, and sharp, and very fucking good at getting people to confess and crumble.

He was just incredibly awkward, as well.

"How about I go pay and we can head back to mine?" The brunet suggested, offering a slight smile. "Jay should be gone by now, and the three of us can watch some TV."

Cole looked at him blankly for a moment before shrugging with a nod. "…Okay. But don't think you're paying–"

"Shut up." He smirked and scooted out the booth, waving his wallet cheekily. "You… You just sit there and look pretty." Kai grinned when Cole swallowed thickly and, well, shut up.

Just because Cole was awkward didn't necessarily mean it was an awful thing.

The blond waiter was at the bar, and the small talk about if they had a nice time died down when Kai put the change in his wallet.

"It's Zane, right?"

The blond behind the bar looked at him, eyebrow raised curiously. "Hm? Yes. Yes, that's me." He smiled politely. "Was the problem with your sister resolved?"

"Oh yeah… Cole mentioned that, didn't he? We're fine now, thanks." He muttered.

"It's nice to put a name to the face."

Kai watched as Zane's eyes flicked over to the raven, lingering for a bit longer than Kai felt was appropriate. Cole had enough trouble on his plate with this Pix girl… he didn't need some stranger giving him weird looks, too. "…He's interested in your _friend_." He stated, lips pursing into a firm line. "He, uh… he wants her number."

The corners of Zane's lips curled upwards.

_Why does he find this funny?_

"Her name's Pix, isn't it–?"

"If you're gonna talk about me, at least let me in the conversation." A hand punched Zane playfully in the arm, and Kai was suddenly met with a pair of bright emerald eyes. "I do have ears, in case you forgot."

Zane patted her head affectionately. "I'm very much aware, don't worry." He gestured to the brunet. "He– _What's your name?_ "

"Kai."

" _Kai_ said his friend over there has taken a liking to you." He explained.

Pix's eyes widened before she giggled, looking back and forth between Kai and Cole. "Oh really? I thought you two were a couple?"

_What._

"Oh my god, _no_." He laughed sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair. "No, um, we're co-workers, you see. Nothing… nothing like that. Just mates."

She nodded slowly, putting down the glass she was cleaning to give the man her full attention. Zane brushed past her to walk round the bar, muttering something about "collecting glasses."

"So." Her gaze fell on him. "Would you mind if this conversation came to an end? Because there's an unnecessarily large birthday party booked here in an hour, and we should really be making final checks."

Kai had to bite back a bitter snort of laughter. "Normally I like girls with attitude." He deadpanned.

Pix smiled sweetly as she leaned closer to him, lowering her voice. "…Good thing you're not my type, then." She looked over at Cole and Zane, the two of them still talking, Kai curiously doing the same.

He swallowed thickly when Zane scribbled something down on his notepad, tore off the page, and handed it to Cole.

"He's not weird, by the way."

"I never said he was."

"I can see it in your eyes. You're awfully protective." Pix sighed. Her hand came out to grab his and hold it tightly, her black acrylics digging into his skin. "…You're lucky you're in denial."

Kai frowned. "What the hell are you going on about–"

"Cole said you need to _shift your ass._ " Zane grinned as he returned back round the bar, expression falling at the brunet's puzzled stare. "Did you plan on staying longer?"

"What? Oh, no. No, we'll head off now." He pursed his lips into a somewhat forced smile and waved as he turned around, Cole already leaning against the wall next to the door.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"You've been staring at that for ages." Kai cast a glance over at his friend for the sixth time, growing slightly irritated, before looking back to the blank TV screen. "What even is it?"

The radio was playing quietly from the kitchen, and the lamp in the corner of the small living room litting it dimly. The taller man had his feet up on the coffee table, whereas the raven was curled up next to him, leaning tiredly on his shoulder.

Cole held his tongue between his teeth as he giggled – fucking _giggled_ – and smiled softly. "…I got a certain person's number–"

The brunet snorted. "Zane gave you her number, then? She said she wasn't interested but you know what girls are like." He nudged him when he didn't get a response, knocking Cole back from an apparent daze.

"Uh, yeah." Finally the folded piece of paper was lowered onto his lap and out of his twitching fingers. He sat up more comfortably, removing his head from Kai's shoulder. "Girls are kinda confusing, I guess."

"You can say that again." He nodded. "Just be glad Nya's asleep, otherwise we'd be dead."

Cole laughed and yawned, reaching for his mug of coffee on the small table in front of them.

"…What's that?"

"What's what?" He halted, finger tips just touching the handle, and looked to Kai curiously.

The brunet carefully took hold of his friends arm and pulled his sleeve down to his elbow, gritting his teeth together.

Cole leaned back against the couch with a tired sigh, letting his arm go limp in Kai's hands. "Don't–"

"Don't _what?_ " He snapped, eyes stinging. "Don't _fucking what_ , Cole?" He lowered his voice into a harsh whisper, brows narrowing angrily when Cole avoided his stare. "You've got a bloody bandage on your wrist and you're telling me _don't panic?_ Are you fucking serious?"

Cole blinked, hot tears burning his eyes. "…Y-Yeah. I am.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> …take that ending how you want.  
> Hell, take everything in this chapter how you want.
> 
> Feedback is very welcome <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kai and Cole paused, turning to look at the kitchens entrance.
> 
> Kai blinked, utterly stunned. He shook his head slowly, and held a finger up when the younger man went to speak. "This is not how I wanted to be introduced to you, I'll put it that way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lockdown gave me severe writers block ngl, and I started back at college a couple weeks ago so I'm kinda busy with that, too,,,,, but this chapter is definitely an insight into Kai and Cole's childhood :)
> 
> TW: mention of Self harm, deceased parents, abandonment. 
> 
> (It's not as depressing as it sounds dw)

The first aid box sat in the middle of the small kitchen table, it's it's contents spilled out messily. 

"…I nearly did it." He blinked, thick lashes damp. "I nearly picked up the glass and did it again. On purpose."

Kai sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.

"This case is hitting closer to home than I anticipated, I'll put it that way." Cole muttered. "I know it's not the same, but… It's just brought things back, that's all."

"About your mum?"

"About my mum." He chewed his lip as he nodded slowly. "Like… I know it was nothing compared to what Lloyd saw, but…" His eyes glazed over as he breathed out heavily. "Just going downstairs for breakfast and finding the note on the table–"

"You had no idea she was gonna run off–"

"I know. It just makes me feel shit, you know? Yeah, it was a few years ago, and yeah, I was completely blindsided by it… but at least I wasn't ten, and found her dead." Cole winced as he looked down at his wrist, grimacing. "…I need to stop throwing pity parties, when people are going through so much worse."

Despite the tone of the conversation, Kai chuckled softly as he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I don't know how many times I've gotta tell you this, but don't compare your trauma to the people we work with. Just… Just don't go back to the place you were in. You can talk to me, you _know_ that." He brought his hand up to push the hair out of Cole's eyes, holding his palm to the raven's cheek affectionately as Cole leaned into it tiredly.

"You're an idiot."

"I'm also an orphan." He smirked. "And as an orphan, I know what it's like to loose a parent."

"My dad's still alive, and my mum probably is as well. You and Nya–"

"We were young – _very_ young, actually – so whilst it did hurt, and it was a weird experience finding out about their passings… we had our grandparents and they snatched us up immediately. Normality came back quickly, and us, being kids, barely questioned it." Kai took his hand off the side of Cole's face to hold his hand – the one that wasn't injured – and squeezed it tightly. "…You were left with a piece of paper, an envelope of cash and your school lunch. Your mum upped and left without telling her sixteen year old son." He held Cole's gaze intently. "Feel as shit as you want. Hell, invite me to the next pity party."

Cole often needed a reality check about Lilly, and even he knew that.

Kai didn't know why his best friend excused her behavior. A decent mum wouldn't just ditch her kid out of nowhere.

"…She was good, you know."

"What?"

"My mum; she was really good." He sounded so sure and Kai couldn't help but frown. "Dad moved back in the apartment, so it wasn't like she left me with nothing. I got on the force easily, dad got his own place when I had enough money for look after myself – you know all this."

"Doesn't change the fact you still blame yourself for her disappearing act." Kai stared bluntly. "Need I remind you that she was the catalyst for you self-harming… and now you're doing it again because the memories have resurfaced."

"I'm not doing it again. I said I was tempted, but it lasted less than a second, idiot." He snapped. "Change the subject– _Fuck_."

Wincing, Kai squeezed bandage wrapped around Cole's wound, before huffing out a steady, sheepish laugh. "Sorry. I feel like that hurt more than I intended."

"Yeah, no shit."

The brunet grimaced, but chuckled nonetheless. "You wanted a subject change–"

"Not for my blood to get cut off, thanks." Cole glared at him. "But yes, you did the fucking job–"

"Oh."

The two of them paused, turning to look at the kitchens entrance.

They were met with a pair of bright blue eyes, a smattering of freckles and a purposeful eyebrow slit.

Kai blinked, utterly stunned. He shook his head slowly, and held a finger up when the younger man went to speak. "This is not how I wanted to be introduced to you, I'll put it that way."

"She said I could get some juice–"

" _She?_ My sister has a name–"

" _Kai_." Cole stuck out his injured arm to keep Kai in his seat, sucking a sharp breath through his teeth as he squeezed his eyes shut. "… _Shit_ , Kai, just let him get some juice." He ignored Kai's childish frown and gave the kid a nod, offering a small smile as he made a beeline for the fridge.

"Nya never mentioned you'd be sleeping over." The brunet muttered as Cole lowered his arm, shooting his friend a sympathetic look.

Jay shrugged as he poured himself a glass and returned the carton. He leaned against the fridge and sipped his drink, before humming nonchalantly. "It was somewhat of an impulsive decision." He paused. "You're okay with it, right? She said you'd be."

"I'd be more okay with it if I'd actually been told… but sure. You're here now, anyways." Kai sighed. "…Just no funny business–"

"Ha!" He snorted loudly as he grinned, walking slowly back out the room. "Just cuz I have an eyebrow slit, doesn't mean I'm a dickhead."

They watched as he waved goodbye and disappeared, Kai's lips in a firm line, and Cole's fighting the urge to smirk in amusement. "…At least… at least you've now met him–"

"Why didn't you go to the hospital about your hand?"

The shorter man's expression switched to confusion. "Are you seriously gonna act like you didn't just speak to the guy you've been wanting to speak to, for ages?"

"Yeah." Kai muttered, looking down at his friend's injured hand as he stroked his thumb over the bandage gently. "…I've met him. He seems decent enough. That's one less thing to worry about."

Cole swallowed thickly, rolling his eyes when he realized Kai wasn't going to just drop the subject. "I couldn't drive myself to the hospital because of, well… the massive cut, and my dad's leg was playing up, so he couldn't, either." He shrugged. "I mean… I managed to get patched up pretty well, didn't I? Don't… Don't focus all your energy on me."

"What if I want to?"

"Well then you're stupid."

Kai laughed lightly. "Says the idiot that's too stubborn to except that I care about them."

"Oh, so I'm an idiot, am I?"

"Yeah." He held his stare, smiling softly. "Yeah, Cole, yeah you are. You're my idiot, and you're stuck with me." Kai watched as Cole's eyes widened and his cheeks went pink, before the raven narrowed his browns, well, stubbornly.

"Shut up."

"You're also staying the night."

"What? I don't even–"

"There's a pack of spare toothbrushes in the bathroom, and I'll be able to get you some makeshift pyjamas." He bit his tongue in concentration. "Pancakes for breakfast? How does that sound?"

Cole blinked.

"…Why aren't you this prepared at work?" He laughed lightly.

"I can just drive you home–"

"Pancakes sound _perfect._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are great encouragement for me! I'd love to know your thoughts on this chapter/the story so far :)


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